Digital Education Resource Archive

Financial sustainability of higher education providers in England : 2025

Early Years Professional Development Programme (Phase 1) : Small-scale process evaluation : June 2025

Skills gaps and shortages in the creative industries: Employer perceptions and actions, UK, 2022 - research report : Updated 12 February 2025

Subject Benchmark Statement : Music : April 2025

Ofqual Strategy 2025 to 2028 : Unlocking futures : Supporting growth

Unregistered independent schools and out-of-school settings : guidance for local authorities : Published 29 May 2025

Progression to higher education or training : Academic year 2023/24

Key stage 4 performance : Academic year 2024/25

Pulse surveys of childcare and early years providers, 2024-2025 : research report, October 2025

Transparency data
Independent school
applications, material
changes and closures
Published 30 October 2025
Applies to England
  
Menu
Home Education, training and skills Inspections and performance of education providers
Inspection and performance of schools Inspection of independent schools
Independent schools: applications, changes and closures
Department 
for Education
Print this page
Pre-registration applications
approved
To open an independent school in England, applicants must
complete a registration process with the Department for
Education (DfE).
Applicants must demonstrate they are likely to meet the
Independent School Standards once registered.
This table shows the number of independent schools registered
by DfE between the years 2020 and 2024.
Change to chart view
Year Number of independent schools registered
2024 105
2023 92
2022 79
2021 99
2020 82
Material change applications
approved
Before making any substantial changes to their registered
details, independent schools must submit a material change
request to DfE and obtain prior approval from, the Secretary of
State for Education. This requirement applies to any significant
alteration, including changes in:
Contents
Pre-registration
applications approved
Material change
applications approved
Independent school
closures
school address
age range of pupils
the maximum number of pupils
This table shows the number of material change applications
that DfE approved between the years 2020 and 2024.
Change to chart view
Year Number of material change applications approved
2024 309
2023 466
2022 351
2021 280
2020 320
Independent school closures
When an independent school decides to close voluntarily, it
must notify DfE, so that its details can be removed from the
Register of Independent Schools.
This table shows the number of independent schools that DfE
removed from the Register of Independent Schools between
the years 2020 and 2024 as a result of voluntary closure and
regulatory and enforcement action.
Change to chart view
Year Number of independent schools closed
2024 58
2023 85
2022 63
2021 66
2020 63
Services and information
Benefits
Births, death, marriages and care
Business and self-employed
Government
activity
Departments
News
Guidance and regulation
Back to top
Is this page useful?
Yes
No
Report a problem with this page
Childcare and parenting
Citizenship and living in the UK
Crime, justice and the law
Disabled people
Driving and transport
Education and learning
Employing people
Environment and countryside
Housing and local services
Money and tax
Passports, travel and living abroad
Visas and immigration
Working, jobs and pensions
Research and statistics
Policy papers and
consultations
Transparency
How government works
Get involved
Help  Privacy  Cookies  Accessibility statement  Contact  Terms and conditions
Rhestr o Wasanaethau Cymraeg  Government Digital Service
All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except where
otherwise stated
© Crown copyright



Independent school applications, material changes and closures : Published 30 October 2025

Not a member yet